Securing device



Feb. 4, 1969 B. E. MATNEY SECURING DEVICE Filed May 5. 1966 FIG. 3

BOYD E. MATNEY IN ENTOR.

ATTORNEY FIG. 6

United States Patent 3,425,100 SECURING DEVICE Boyd E. Matney, 4 Provider Circle, Pope Air Force Base, N.C. 28308 Filed May 5, 1966, Ser. No. 547,869 US. Cl. 24-110 Int. Cl. A44b 1/38; A44c 3/00 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE I This invention relates to securing devices and, more particularly, to securing devices used in conjunction with ribbons worn by military and other personnel to denote campaigns, decorations, and other meritorious service.

In the past, button-type of clutch devices have been used to secure service ribbons to the uniform. These button devices slip over pins protruding from the back side of the ribbon bar and grip the same, thereby securing it. In actual practice, however, it has been found that these devices are very unsatisfactory, particularly when the clutches become slightly worn or when a heavy uniform such as winter weight is used which permits the pin from extending its full length within said clutch button.

Due to the unreliability of the prior art securing devices, most service men and other people who use them generally keep several spare devices on hand at all times. Even so, the clutches are often lost, thereby causing much embarrassment, inconvenience, possibly even disciplinary action.

After much research and study, applicant has developed a convenient, dependable securing device which is simply operated and very inexpensive to manufacture. This device also has the very definite advantage of being adapted to operate in conjunction with the pins which protrude from the ribbon bars presently in use.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a dependable device for releasably securing ribbon bars to the uniform of the wearer thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive device to manufacture which is adapted to be used in conjunction with well-known military service ribbon bars without modification thereto.

Another object of the pressent invention is to provide a ribbon bar securing device which incorporates a simple squeeze-releasable means for securing and disengaging said device from said bar.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a ribbon securing device which may be stamped and manufactured from sheet-metal material, thereby eliminating molding and other manufacturing steps which add to production costs.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a securing means for service ribbon bars wherein gripping means are provided to releasably engage at least two pin type projections, said gripping devices being spring-biased in the engaged position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of the present invention.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a perspective of the back side of a ribbon bar securing device;

3,425,100 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken from lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the device disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of a blank of one of the slide members;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of a blank of the second slide member; and

FIG. 6 is an elevation of a blank of the base portion of the present invention.

With further reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 discloses a ribbon bar securing means 10 composed of a base portion 11 which is provided with side wall portions 12, end wall portions 12' and a circumventional flange 13.

Adapted to be slidably mounted within the bounds of said side wall portions 12, end wall portions 12 and flange 13 is a first slide portion 14. Cooperatively mounted in relation to said first slide portion within the confines of wall portions 12 and 12' and flange 13 is a second slide portion 15.

On one end of the first slide portion is a first housing portion 16 composed of first housing wall portions 17 and first housing cover portion 18.

One end of the second slide portion is provided with a second housing portion 19 which is slightly smaller than the first housing portion 16 so that it may slide within and cooperate with said first housing. Said second housing is composed of second housing wall portions 20 and second cover portion 21.

At the opposite end of the first slide portion from the first housing is a first raised pin-cover portion 22. At the opposite end of the second slide portion from said second housing is a second raised pin-cover portion 23.

Formed from a portion of the first raised pin-cover, as will hereinafter be described in more detail, is inwardly projecting first gripping retainer arm 24. Along a portion of said arm there is provided a series of teeth or burrs 25. Similarly provided from a portion of the second pin cover is a second gripping retainer arm 26 which is likewise provided with teeth or burrs 25'.

Interiorly mounted within the first and second housing portions is a spring-tensioning means 27 for biasing the first and second slide portions toward the end wall portions 12'.

In actual use of the device disclosed by the present invention, a ribbon bar 28 (which is commonly purchasable in military exchanges and military supply stores throughout the world) is taken and the pins 29 which project from the back side thereof are inserted through openings 30 in base portion 11. The toothed or burred portions 25 and 25' of the first and second gripper retainer arms 24 and 26 engage said pins. Due to the acute angle at which the arms and pins make contact,

, said pins are held in a relatively fixed position. When it is wished to disengage the ribbon securing means from the ribbon bar pins so that the device may be removed, all that is required is the applying of pressure such as a squeezing motion between the index finger and the thumb which is applied to the first and second housing portions 17 and 19. When this pressure is applied, the spring-tensioning means 27 is compressed thereby allowing the second housing portion to slide within the first housing portion. Since the housing portions are integral with the slide portions, both the first and the second slide portions will move toward each other in an overlapping manner, thereby disengaging the toothed or burred portions 25 and 25' of gripping retainer arms 24 and 26 from pins 29.

simply by pressing the pins on the back side of the bar through the fabric material and then pressing the securin device of the present invention dOWn on such pins. With the prior art a separate securing device had to be used in conjunction with each of the pins on the ribbon bar to properly secure the same. Applicants invention, therefore, has the added advantage of being only half as apt to be lost since it is retained at two points rather than a single point.

As is also readily apparent, the single-action, sequeezably releasable action of applicants disclosure is much simplified from the prior art which required that the retaining means for each pin had to be separately released, which was time consuming and aggravating.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 disclose the blanks from which the various parts of the present invention may be manufactured. Of particular interest is the manner in which the toothed or burred portions are formed. As can be readily seen from these figures, the device could be very inexpensively manufactured by simply stamping each part out of a piece of sheet metal and bending it along the dotted fold lines as shown.

The present invention of course may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A ribbon bar securing device comprising a base portion; said base portion having raised wall portions about its edges; an inwardly projecting circumventional flange mounted about said wall portions; a first slide portion slidably mounted within said area defined by the base portion, the wall portions, and the circumventional flange; a second slide portion; said second slide portion slidably mounted in cooperative relation with said first slide portion within the area defined by the base portion, the wall portions, and the circumventional flange; a first housing portion and a second housing portion; said first housing portion fixedly secured to one end of said first slide portion and so constructed as to slidably receive said second housing portion; said second housing portion fixedly secured to one end of said second slide portion and adapted to slide within said first housing portion; a first raised pin-cover portion provided on the end of said first slide portion opposite said first housing portion; a second raised pin-cover portion provided on the end of said second slide portion opposite said second housing portion; a first gripping retainer arm inwardly projecting from and fixedly secured to said first raised pincover; a second gripping retainer arm inwardly projecting from and fixedly secured to said second raised pincover; toothed gripping portions fixedly secured to each of said retainer arms; tensioning means operatively mounted within said first and second housing portions to bias said first and second slide portions away from each other; and openings in said base portion in axial alignment with said gripping retainer arms when in biased position whereby at least two pins disposed in fixed relation to each other passing through said openings will grippingly engage said arms in fixed relation until, such time as the biasing of said tensioning means is overcome to release said projections.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the angle between the retainer arms and the pins When'in engaged position is acute.

3. A securing device comprising a first slide means and a second slide means; a retainer means; said first and said second slide means being slideably mounted within said retainer means; gripping means fixedly attached to said first slide means; gripping means fixedly attached to said second slide means; at least two detachable plus disposed in fixed relation to each other; said pins being adapted to releasably engage at acute angles said gripping means; and means for biasing said slide means whereby said pins may be held in fixed relation to said device by said gripping means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,892,743' 1/ 1933 Wenger.

FOREIGN PATENTS 582,700 8/1933 Germany. 58,478 3/1925 Sweden.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

E. SIMONSEN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

